The Shooting Star was the first USAF aircraft to
exceed 500 mph in level flight, the first American jet airplane to be
manufactured in large quantities and the first USAF jet to be used in combat.
Designed in 1943, the XP-80 made its maiden flight on Jan. 8, 1944. Several
early P-80s were sent to Europe for demonstration, but WW II ended before the
aircraft could be employed in combat. (The aircraft was re-designated in 1948
when "P" for "Pursuit" was changed to "F" for "Fighter.") Of 1,731 F-80s built,
798 were F-80Cs.

Although it was designed as a high-altitude interceptor, the F-80C was
used extensively as a fighter-bomber in the Korean Conflict, primarily for
low-level rocket, bomb and napalm attacks against ground targets. On Nov. 8,
1950, an F-80C flown by Lt. Russell J. Brown, flying with the 16th
Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, shot down a Russian-built MiG-15 in the world's first all-jet fighter air battle.

The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first American combat-ready jet
fighter, and was the first American production combat aircraft to exceed 500 mph
in level flight. It was the first American jet-powered aircraft to score a
victory in air-to-air combat, and was the victor in the world's first
jet-versus-jet combat. It participated in the world's first operational combat
mission that was assisted by mid-air refuelling. For a brief time, it held the
world's air speed record. And perhaps most significant, it formed the basis of
the T-33 two-seat advanced trainer, one of the most successful trainers of the
postwar era.

The USA got off to a late start in the new field of jet propulsion. The
Germans had pioneered jet propulsion with the Heinkel He 178 V1, which was flown
for the first time on August 27, 1939. The world's first jet-powered fighter,
the Heinkel He 280 V1 flew for the first time on April 2, 1941. The
Messerschmitt Me 262 V-3 took to the air under jet power for the first time on
July 8, 1942. The British were not far behind the Germans, the Gloster E.28/39
experimental test bed having been flown for the first time on May 15, 1941
powered by a Whittle W2B turbojet engine with centrifugal supercharger. The
Gloster Meteor flew for the first time on March 5, 1943, powered by a pair of
1500 lb.s.t. Halford H.1 turbojets. The prototype de Havilland DH-100 Vampire
flew on September 21, 1943, powered by a single 2700 lb.s.t. Halford H.1
(Goblin) turbojet.

Click on Picture to enlarge

Static engine test - Muroc 11-18-43

As far back as 1939, Lockheed engineers Clarence R. "Kelly" Johnson and
Hall L. Hibbard had been interested in jet propulsion for aircraft, and had
actually engaged in various paper projects. In particular, Lockheed had done
some preliminary work on a company-financed project designated L-133 which had
progressed to several different versions on the drawing board, culminating in
the Model L-133-02-01, which was a canard design powered by a pair of
Lockheed-designed L-1000 turbojet engines. The USAAF was not particularly
interested in any of these projects and declined to finance any of them, so none
of them ever progressed past the preliminary concept stage. However, spurred by
reports from England on progress there with jet propulsion, and perhaps even
more so by intelligence reports of German and Italian advances in the area of
jet propulsion, the USAAF suddenly began to show more interest in jet-powered
combat aircraft.

In exchange for the generous Lend-Lease aid provided to England by the
USA, the British agreed to supply blueprints of their new jet engines to the
USA, where they would be built under license by General Electric. Powered by a
pair of General Electric I-A turbojets, the Bell XP-59A Airacomet made its
maiden flight on October 19, 1942. Although the XP-59A provided valuable
experience to the USAAF in the operation of jet-powered aircraft, it was
basically a flying test bed and not a combat-capable aircraft. The USAAF had to
look elsewhere in its search for an effective jet fighter.

In light of its pioneering work on the XP-59A Airacomet, the Bell Aircraft
Corporation might have been a more likely choice than Lockheed for work on a
more combat-capable jet fighter. However, the Bell corporation was heavily
committed to other projects and could not take on any more work. In view of
Lockheed's earlier studies in jet propulsion, in late 1942, the USAAF
transferred to Lockheed the preliminary design studies undertaken by Bell for
the XP-59B single-engine version of the Airacomet. In March of 1943, the
specifications and drawings for the Halford H.1B (Goblin) turbojet were also
transferred to Lockheed. This engine was to built under license in the USA by
Allis-Chalmers as the J36.

In the spring of 1943, preliminary discussions were carried out between
Lockheed representatives and the Air Technical Service Command about the
production of a combat-capable jet fighter. On May 17, 1943, a conference
chaired by Brig-Gen Franklin O. Carroll, chief of the Army Air Forces
Engineering Division formalized these preliminary discussions. Lockheed was
invited to submit a fighter proposal built around the de Havilland-built Halford
H.1B turbojet. Immediately afterwards, Lockheed undertook a preliminary design
investigation for a jet fighter project named L-140 by the company. On June 17,
1943 the USAAF gave its approval to the L-140 project, and on June 24 a formal
Letter Contract was issued. The designation XP-80 was chosen for the project. On
October 16, a formal contract was issued. One of the key requirements imposed on
Lockheed was the need to complete the first aircraft within 180 days of the
award of the Letter Contract.

Click on Picture to enlarge

In order to meet this schedule, Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson, assisted by
William P. Ralston and Don Palmer, assembled a small team of engineers and went
to a ten-hour day/ 6-day week schedule. They housed themselves in a temporary
building near the wind tunnel at Plant B-1 and set out to design the L-140 and
to build the prototype XP-80 in record time and in complete secrecy. They
operated almost completely outside the normal company bureaucracy, and proceeded
with a minimum of paperwork and overhead. This was the origin of the famous
Skunk Works.

The Skunk Works team adopted a simplistic approach. The team settled on a
clean aircraft with a low aspect ratio, laminar-flow wing. Conventional tail
surfaces and a retractable nose wheel undercarriage were adopted. The Halford
H.1B engine was to be fed by air intakes positioned in the lower fuselage
forward of the wing leading edge and exhausted through a straight tailpipe. The
pilot sat in a pressurized cockpit underneath a rearward-sliding bubble canopy.
The aft fuselage with engine and tail surfaces was detachable as a single unit
for ready access to the power-plant. The armament was to consist of six
0.50-inch machine guns, all mounted in the nose.

The mockup of the XP-80 was ready for inspection on July 20-22, 1943. Only
a few minor changes were recommended by the inspectors, and construction of the
XP-80 (serial number 44-83020) proceeded rapidly. Since the project had the
highest priority, construction went so rapidly that the XP-80 was soon ahead of
schedule. The pressurized cockpit was considered unnecessary for the first
prototype, so it was decided that an un-pressurized cockpit would be fitted in
order to save time. However, the jet engine program did not proceed quite so
rapidly and the delivery from England of the first non-flyable turbojet was
delayed several times, forcing Lockheed to use a wooden engine mockup for the
first tests.

The non-flyable engine was finally delivered on November 2, 1943. This
engine was installed in the XP-80, and the aircraft was trucked from Burbank to
Muroc Dry Lake. On November 16, the XP-80 was formally accepted by the USAAF,
beating the schedule by completing the aircraft within 143 days from the date of
award of the Letter Contract.

While the XP-80 was still under construction, some consideration had been
given to installing a less powerful General Electric I-16 (license-built Whittle
W2B) jet engine for initial testing, with production aircraft being powered by
the more powerful Halford H.1B built under license by Allis-Chalmers as the J36.
However, the XP-80 would be decidedly underpowered with the I-16, and this idea
was dropped.

However, the J36 program ran into difficulties and ultimately failed to
produce anything useful. In September 1943, Lockheed proposed as an alternative
a larger and heavier L-141 version, to be powered by a General Electric I-40
(later produced by both General Electric and Allison as the J33). The USAAF was
sufficiently impressed that they issued a contract for two XP-80As. Serials were
44-83021 and 44-83022.

A flyable Halford engine was delivered to Lockheed in mid November of
1943. The de Havilland-built Halford H.1B turbojet had a bench thrust of 3000
pounds at 10,500 rpm and an installed thrust of 2460 pounds at 9500 rpm. On
November 17, 1943, while the H.1B engine installation in the XP-80 was
undergoing ground testing, both intake ducts collapsed, and the ingestion of
debris damaged the engine. While waiting a replacement engine, the ducts were
strengthened. The British selflessly rushed over a replacement engine which had
been intended for the number 2 Vampire fighter. The replacement engine arrived
on December 28 and was promptly installed in the XP-80. The XP-80 was finally
ready for its maiden flight.

Click on Picture to enlarge

The first flight of the XP-80 took place on January 8, 1944 with test
pilot Milo Burcham at the controls. The first flight had to be cut short after
only five minutes because of undercarriage retraction failure and the pilot's
concern over boosted aileron sensitivity. These problems were quickly fixed.
Subsequent test flights reached a top speed of 502 mph at 20,480 feet, the XP-80
becoming the first USAAF aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight. However,
the flight tests also disclosed a number of problems including bad stall and
spin characteristics, an excessively-high stick force, unsatisfactory fuel
management systems, and poor engine reliability and performance. At low speeds,
it had a tendency to stall and roll sharply to the right with little or no
warning. These problems were addressed one-by-one. The original blunt-tipped
wing and tail surfaces were replaced with rounded tips after the fifth flight,
and sharp leading edge fillets were added at the wing roots. The tailplane
incidence was increased by 1 1/2 degrees.

The XP-80 was eventually transferred to the 412th Fighter Group for
tactical evaluation. Following that, the aircraft was returned to Muroc before
being assigned to the AAF Training Command at Chanute Field in Illinois. The
XP-80 survived all of these evaluation trials, and on November 8, 1946, it was
transferred to the Smithsonian Institution for eventual display. Restoration
work was completed in May of 1978. I presume that it is now sitting somewhere at
the Paul Garber Restoration Facility, awaiting the availability of a suitable
location for its display.

XP-80 Serial Number:

44-83020 Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star c/n 140-1001

Now with National Air and Space Museum

Lockheed XP-80A "Shooting Star"

In September 1943, even before the XP-80 had made its first flight,
Lockheed had proposed a larger and heavier L-141 version powered by the more
powerful General Electric I-40 "Whittle" turbojet engine (later produced by both
General Electric and Allison as the J33). The USAAF was sufficiently impressed
that they issued a contract for two examples under the designation XP-80A.
Serials were 44-83021 and 44-83022.

The General Electric I-40 engine that powered the XP-80A had a thrust of
4000 pounds, and was fed by intakes relocated a bit further aft to a position
just below the cockpit windshield. The XP-80A was significantly larger and about
25 percent heavier than the XP-80 prototype in order to accommodate the larger
engine. The wingspan was 39 feet 0 inches, two feet greater than that of the
XP-80, but wing area was reduced to 237.6 square feet by using a narrower chord.
Length was increased from 32 feet 10 inches to 34 feet 6 inches. Height
increased to 11 feet 4 inches. Weights were considerably greater than those of
the XP-80, being 7225 pounds empty, 9600 pounds gross, and 13,780 pounds maximum
takeoff. The increased weight required a stronger undercarriage. Ammunition
capacity increased from 200 to 300 rounds per gun, and internal fuel capacity
increased from 285 to 485 US gallons. In contrast to the XP-80, the XP-80A was
fitted with a pressurized cockpit.

Click on Picture to enlarge

XP-80A 44-83021 flew for the first time on June 10, 1944. It
was followed on August 1 by XP-80A 44-83022. 44-83022 was fitted with a second
seat which could carry an engineering observer. Early in the test program the
XP-80A experienced excessively-high cockpit temperatures due to a faulty cabin
pressurization valve. This problem was easily fixed, but there were more serious
problems encountered with an unstable airflow through the intake ducts. Kelly
Johnson took a ride in the rear seat of 44-83022 in order to try and figure out
what was causing the problem. Kelly Johnson was an extremely talented
aeronautical engineer, and he correctly diagnosed the cause as being boundary
layer separation along the walls of the duct. The problem was solved by adding a
series of boundary layer bleeds along the upper edges of the ducts. This feature
was added to all subsequent production aircraft.

The second XP-80A became the first in the Shooting Star series to carry a
165 US-gallon drop tank underneath each wingtip. When carried, these tanks
actually lowered rather than increased the drag. They could be brought home
empty with no penalty in aerodynamic drag. The tanks also improved aileron
effectiveness and wing loading.

The first XP-80A crashed after an engine failure on March 20, 1945, but
test pilot Tony LeVier managed to parachute to safety and escaped with only back
injuries. The second XP-80A was later used as a test-bed for the Westinghouse
J34 axial-flow turbojet in support of the XP-90 program.

Thirteen YP-80A service test aircraft were ordered on March 10, 1944.
Serials were 44-83023 through 44-83035. They were generally identical to the
XP-80A and were powered by the General Electric I-40 turbojet, the production
model of which was designated J33-GE-9 or -11. Armament was increased to six
0.50-in machine guns in the nose.

The USAAF wanted a photographic reconnaissance aircraft with the
performance of the P-80, and, on September 23, 1944, they ordered that the
second YP-80 (44-83024) be completed as an unarmed photo-recon ship. It was
assigned the designation XF-14, the F designation being in the pre-1948
F-for-photographic reconnaissance series. In converting the aircraft to XF-14
configuration, the six 0.50-in machine guns in the nose of the YP-80A were taken
out and replaced by a set of cameras. A window for the camera was built into the
lower nose section in front of the nosewheel. The sides of the nose were left
unblemished, unlike later P-80 reconnaissance models which had cameras on the
side of the nose ahead of the air intakes. The career of the XF-14 was rather
brief--it was destroyed on December 6, 1944 in a midair collision with a
Lockheed-owned B-25 Mitchell during a test flight.

The first YP-80A took off on its maiden flight on September 13, 1944,
beginning the manufacturer's trials. The trials got off to a horrible start. The
third YP-80A (44-83025) crashed on its maiden flight on October 20, 1944,
killing the well-known test pilot Milo Burcham.

In spite of the loss of the third YP-80A, four YP-80As were deployed to
Europe in order to demonstrate their capabilities to combat crews and to help in
the development of tactics to be used against Luftwaffe jet fighters. YP-80As
44-83026 and 44-83027 were shipped to England in mid-December 1944, but 44-83026
crashed on its second flight at Burtonwood, England, killing its pilot, Major
Frederick Borsodi. 44-83027 was modified by Rolls-Royce to flight test the B-41,
the prototype of the Nene turbojet. On November 14, 1945, it was destroyed in a
crash landing after an engine failure. 44-83028 and 44-83029 were shipped to the
Mediterranean. They actually flew some operational sorties, but they never
encountered any enemy aircraft. Both of them fortunately managed to survive
their tour of duty in Europe, but one of them crashed on August 2, 1945 after
returning to the USA. The other one ended its useful life as a pilot less drone.

The remaining nine YP-80As were used for a variety of purposes, including
operational evaluation and service trials. The first YP-80A was specially
instrumented and was used by NACA at the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory at Moffett
Field in California for high-speed diving trials. The tenth, eleventh, and
twelfth YP-80As were delivered in 1945 to the 31st Fighter Squadron of the 412th
Fighter Group at Bakersfield Municipal Airport in California for service tests.

The initial production version of the Shooting Star, the P-80A, was
ordered on April 4, 1944, when a Letter Contract for two batches of 500 aircraft
was issued. In June of 1945, 2500 additional P-80As were ordered. However,
following V-J Day this second contract was cancelled in its entirety and the
first contract was cut back to 917 aircraft.

The P-80A was much the same as the YP-80A which preceded it, differing
only in minor details. The P-80A introduced under-fuselage dive brakes which
opened forward at the wing join, and had a landing light installed behind a
transparent fairing in the upper nose. The intake lip was moved slightly further
aft, and the tailplane incidence was raised by 1.5 degrees.

The first 345 aircraft of this contract (serials 44-84992 to 44-85336)
were designated P-80A-1-LO. Some of them were powered by the 3850 lb.s.t.
General Electric J33-GE-11 turbojet, the production version of the I-40 which
had powered the XP-80A and the YP-80A. Others were powered by the Allison
J33-A-9, a version of the same engine built by the Allison Division of the
General Motors Corporation.

The next 218 aircraft in the contract (44-85337 to 44-85941 and 45-8301 to
45-8262) were built as the P-80A-5-LO production block and differed by being
equipped with the more powerful 4000 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-17. The -5 also
introduced a boundary layer control splitter plate inside the air intake. The
landing light was relocated from the nose to the nose wheel landing gear strut.
Later, the initial production P-80A-1-LOs were retrofitted with the higher rated
Allison engine during routine engine overhauls.

On January 19, 1945, North American Aviation had been awarded a contract
to produce one thousand P-80As in its Dallas plant. The designation given to
these license-produced Shooting Stars was P-80N. However, this contract was
cancelled shortly after V-E Day, and no P-80Ns were ever completed.

Click on Picture to enlarge

In flight towed by a B-29

The first P-80A was accepted by the AAF in February of 1945, and the last
was delivered in December 1946. Early P-80As had a overall light grey finish
which was used to seal all skin joints. This finish proved to be too hard to
maintain in service, and was deleted in favor of a natural metal finish.

Another F-80A-1-LO (44-85042) was modified in the field as ERF-80A-1-LO to
test new photographic equipment in a nose of modified contour.

One P-80A-1-LO airframe (44-85201) was modified as an unarmed photographic
reconnaissance aircraft, with the guns being replaced by a set of cameras. The
aircraft was re-designated XFP-80A, the F-14 designation originally planned for
the reconnaissance version of the Shooting Star having been dropped. The XFP-80A
differed from the original XF-14 in having a more elongated nose which hinged
upward to provide better access to the cameras.

Click on Picture to enlarge

38 P-80A-5-LOs were completed during construction as FP-80A-5-LO
photographic reconnaissance aircraft. Serials were 44-85383, 58385, 85399,
85425, 85433, 85439, the odd numbers in the batch of 44-85443 to 44-85491
inclusive, and the even-numbers in the batch 45-8301 to 45-8314 inclusive.
Following the production of these modified recon aircraft, a new batch of
aircraft (45-8364 to 45-8477) was manufactured from scratch as FP-80A-5-LO. This
designation was later changed to RF-80A. Camera installation consisted of one
K-17 camera and two K-22 split-vertical cameras. These all had camera noses that
were generally similar to that of the XFP-80A. They were initially powered by
the 3850 lb.s.t. General Electric J33-GE-11 engine.

In addition 66 production P-80A fighters were converted by Lockheed
Aircraft Services, Inc as photo-reconnaissance ships. They differed from
factory-built models in having a less even contour over the nose at the very
front of the aircraft. They were re-designated RF-80A-15-LO. An unknown number
of RF-80As were modified to RF-80A-10-LO standard with the installation of an
AN/ARN-6 radio compass, JATO, plenum chamber fire warning units, modified
heating, cooling, and pressurization. The -10 block aircraft were powered by
J33-A-9A or -9B and J33-GE-11A or -11B engines. However, in 1953, 98 of these
-10 and -15 FP-80As were re-engined with the 5400 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-25
engine. These were re-designated RF-80A-20-LO and RF-80A-25-LO respectively.

Click on Picture to enlarge

- "Honk" S/N 44-85065 with Capt. G.M. Hensley at the
Washington National Air Show, 19 May 1946

Three P-80As (44-8500, 44-85005, and 45-85235) were transferred to the US
Navy for trials. They received BuNos 29667, 29668 and 29689 respectively, but
apparently never got a Navy designation. 29667 was turned over to the Navy on
May 17, 1945, and carried out simulated carrier landings at NAS Patuxent River,
Maryland, with much of the flying being done by Cmdr Najeeb Halaby. 29668
reached the Navy on Dec 18, 1945 and was fitted with a catapult bridle and
arrestor hook. 29668 was used for carrier-suitability trials aboard the aircraft
carrier *Franklin D. Roosevelt*, with Marine Corps LtCol Marion Carl carrying
out several landings and takeoffs. However, the Navy never experienced any
interest in acquiring a carrier-based version of the single-seat Shooting Star
fighter.

One of the problems experienced by all early jet fighters was their
relatively limited range and endurance as compared to conventional piston-engine
fighters. One idea that was given serious thought at the time was for jet
fighters to be towed like gliders behind bombers until they reached the combat
zone. These fighters would then be cut free, start their engines, and engage in
combat. When combat was over, the fighters would re-link to the bombers for the
tow back home. In May of 1945, P-80A serial number 44-84995 was transferred to
Wright Field for use in testing of the feasibility of this idea. An attachment
bar for the cable tow was installed in the nose of the P-80A. It could be
engaged or released by the pilot. The cable not only provided a tow, it also
provided electrical power to the P-80A. Several tests were carried out in which
the aircraft was towed behind a Boeing B-29A-10-BN (42-93921). On September 23,
1947, Lt. Col Pat Fleming took off and attempted to link up in midair to the
B-29 tow cable. After several attempts were frustrated by air turbulence from
the B-29, he finally succeeded in linking up to the end of the tow cable. He was
towed through the air for 10 minutes. When it came time to unhook, the tow bar
stubbornly refused to release. Fleming finally maneuvered underneath the B-29,
where the bomber's bow wave snapped the attachment point backwards, blocking his
forward view. Fleming managed to land safely, but the program was immediately
terminated as being impractical. 44-84995 was eventually repaired and restored
to standard P-80A configuration and returned to active service.

Click on Picture to enlarge

"Rhapsody in Rivets" S/N 44-85069

P-80A-1-LO 44-85044 was tested with a modified rotating
nose housing four machine guns which could be elevated up to an angle of 90
degrees. The idea was for the P-80 to be able to approach an enemy bomber from
below and be able to fire on it without being in danger of return fire.
However, when these guns were fired, the P-80A bucked and trembled and the
accuracy of fire left much to be desired, and the idea was abandoned. It was
later fitted with a second cockpit in the nose in which the pilot lay prone.
The regular cockpit was occupied by a safety pilot who made takeoffs and
landings, navigated, and handled flaps and speed brakes. However, the prone
pilot was situated so far forward that he experienced vertigo during
maneuvers. The idea was abandoned as being impractical.

P-80A-1-LO 44-85116 was fitted with jettisonable racks for 5-inch HVAR
rockets in place of the wingtip tanks. Later, it was fitted with a rocket
launcher gun in a modified nose. The nose incorporated louvers to exhaust the
gases produced by the firing rockets.

P-80A 44-85354 was experimentally fitted with four 20-mm cannon in place
of the standard six machine guns. However, this cannon armament was never
adopted as standard.

Click on Picture to enlarge

Large group bound for Chanute AFB, 19 May
1946

P-80A 44-85214 was fitted with a 30-inch diameter Marquardt C30-10B ramjet
on each wingtip. 44-85042 used a pair of 20-inch Marquardt C20-85D ramjets. The
ramjets were first used in flight on March 12, 1947 and on June 17, 1948
44-85214 flew briefly on ramjet power alone. About a hundred sorties were made
at Muroc, mainly by Lockheed test pilot Herman R. "Fish" Salmon. The ramjet
program was discontinued when it became apparent that the ramjet consumed fuel
at a much too rapid rate to make it a practical means of aircraft propulsion.

In June of 1948, the P-80A and FP-80A were re-designated F-80A and RF-80A
respectively.

After the end of the Korean War, 137 F-80As and RF-80As were partially
brought up to F-80C standards. These were re-designated F-80C-11-LO and
RF-80C-11-LO respectively, and were issued to ANG and USAF reserve units. These
RF-80Cs had improved camera installations in a nose of modified contour. The
conversion consisted of the installation of the J33-A-35 engine, the
installation of an ejector seat using an M-5 catapult and M-3 actuator, and
provision for an AN/ARC-27 command radio.

The next production version of the Shooting Star was the P-80B. The prototype
for the series was designated XP-80B and was produced by modifying the ninth
P-80A-1-LO (44-85200). A 4000 lb.st. Allison J33-A-17 turbojet engine equipped
with water/methanol injection was fitted. In order to provide space for the
water-alcohol tanks, the internal fuel capacity was reduced from 470 to 425 US
gallons. Contrary to other reports, the P-80B did not have a thinner wing or a
thicker skin, the wing thickness actually remaining the same all throughout the
P-80 series. A Lockheed-designed ejector seat was fitted, making the P-80B the
first operational American warplane to be equipped with an ejector seat.
Provisions were made for the installation of JATO bottles. A dark-colored nose
fairing housed a loop aerial for an AN/ARN-6 D/F set. The P-80B retained the
wingspan, length and height, of the P-80A. The B could be distinguished from the
A by relocating the pitot tube from the nose to the vertical fin.

A total of 240 P-80Bs were delivered between March 1947 and March 1948.
These included 209 P-80B-1-LOs and 31 P-80B-5-LOs. The latter block were
winterized models with canopy defrosting. In addition, they used special greases
and natural rubber optimized for Arctic service in Alaska. In addition, on the
P-80B-5-LO the 0.50-inch M-2 machine guns of the P-80B-1 were replaced with
improved M-3 machine guns of identical caliber.

The first operational P-80Bs were issued to the 1st Fighter Group at March
Field, California in June of 1946.

P-80B 45-8557 was transferred to the U. S. Navy, where it became BuNo
29690 and was used for experimental purposes.

At least five P-80Bs (45-8484, 8485, 8528, 8538, and 8561 were modified to
duplicate the functions and guidance system of the Bell GAM-63 Rascal air to
surface missile. They were fitted with modified noses and wing tip tanks, and
were equipped with additional vertical control surfaces both above and below the
wings.

Click on Picture to enlarge

117 F-80Bs were later brought partially up to F-80C standards, and were
re-designated F-80C-12-LO. They were issued to Air National Guard and Air Force
Reserve squadrons after the end of the Korean War.

In late 1946, it had been over ten years since any aircraft of US
manufacture had held the world's speed record. At that time, the world's speed
record was 615.8 mph, set on September 7, 1946 by Group Captain E. M. Donaldson
of the RAF flying a modified Gloster Meteor F.4. In the autumn of 1946, the
USAAF decided that it would be a good idea for the USA to regain this record. In
pursuit of this aim, the USAAF instructed Lockheed to modify the XP-80B
(44-85200) to make an attempt to set a new world's aircraft speed record.

Click on Picture to enlarge

The modified XP-80B aircraft was re-designated XP-80R, and was fitted with
a set of experimental flush air intakes and a low-profile canopy. It was
initially powered by a J33-A-17 engine. On its first attempt, the XP-80R failed
to average over 600 mph in four passes over a 3 km course. In pursuit of more
speed, the XP-80R was returned to Burbank for modifications. The experimental
flush intakes were replaced by conventional intakes, and a 4600 lb.s.t. Allison
Model 400 engine was fitted. This engine was a modified J33 equipped with
water-methanol injection. The wings were clipped and were fitted with sharper
leading edges.

On June 19, 1947, the XP-80R was ready for another attempt. Piloted by
Colonel Albert Boyd (chief of Flight Test at the Air Materiel Command), the
XP-80R succeeded in setting a new record of 623.738 mph. The P-80R was
subsequently used operationally by the Air Training Command as an advanced
trainer. It is now on display at the USAF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB in
Ohio.

The final production version of the Shooting Star was the
P-80C, which was a heavier and more powerful version of the P-80B. The first
P-80C flew on March 1, 1948. Whereas the P-80A and B had been delivered under
original wartime contracts, the P-80C was built under postwar Fiscal Year 1947,
1948, and 1949 contracts.

The first two production batches included 162 P-80C-1-LOs and 76
P-80C-5-LOs. These were initially powered by the 4600 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-23
jet engine. The last 561 P-80C aircraft were from the P-80C-10-LO production
block and were powered by the 5400 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-35 engine. The contract
included four aircraft (49-3957/3600) that were originally ordered by Peru but
delivered to the USAF in the fall of 1951. The P-80C could be externally
distinguished from the B by the relocation of the pitot tube from the fin back
to a position underneath the nose. The wingspan was 39 feet 9 inches, and the
length was 34 feet 5 inches. It used the improved M3 machine guns first
introduced on the later production blocks of the P-80B.

In June of 1948, the designation of the P-80C was changed to F-80C

The F-80C bore the brunt of Shooting Star combat in Korea, most of the
F-80As and B's either remaining stateside or going on duty in Europe. In
service, many P-80C aircraft were fitted with two additional wing pylons, and
provision for the mounting of sixteen 5-inch rockets were made. Service
modifications included the use of either 265 US gallon under-tip tanks
(sometimes named "Misawa" tanks after the air base in Japan where they were
first introduced) or 230 US-gallon centerline tip tanks. When the latter type of
tanks were carried, the wingtips were squared off, reducing the span to 38 feet
9 inches.

Click on Picture to enlarge

Side view of dual cockpit aircraft

During the Korean War, an uncertain number of F-80A and F-80C fighters
were modified to RF-80C standards. They differed from other Shooting Star
reconnaissance aircraft by having a smooth fighter-style nose. The guns were
replaced by one or two K-14 cameras, but the gun barrels were painted over to
give the appearance of retaining weapons.

After the end of the Korean War, 137 F-80As and RF-80As were partially
brought up to F-80C standards by Lockheed Air Services, Inc. These were
re-designated F-80C-11-LO and RF-80C-11-LO respectively, and were issued to ANG
and USAF reserve units. The RF-80Cs had improved camera installations in a nose
of modified contour. The conversion consisted of the installation of the
J33-A-35 engine, the installation of an ejector seat using an M-5 catapult and
M-3 actuator, and provision for an AN/ARC-27 command radio.

One F-80C (47-171) was constructed of magnesium throughout. It was
re-designated NF-80C. One shudders to think of what would have happened if a
fire ever broke out! In fact, the aircraft was originally on display at the Air
Force Museum in Ohio, but removed after its all-magnesium construction was
deemed to be a fire risk. Another usual experiment took place with F-80C serial
number 49-429. It was tested on skis in Alaska.

In the years 1947-1948, the US Navy was finding that deliveries of its
newly-ordered Grumman F9F Panthers and McDonnell F2H Banshee carrier-based jet
fighters were taking place at a considerably slower rate than expected. In order
to fill in the gap until adequate numbers of these fighters could be delivered
and to provide for a nucleus of trained jet pilots, the Navy arranged for 49
USAF P-80C-1-LOs and one USAF P-80C-5-LO to be transferred to them. These
Shooting Stars were all powered by the 4600 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-23 engine.

In Navy service, the Shooting Stars bore the designation TO-1. The T
(rather than F) letter indicated that these aircraft were considered as trainers
rather than as operational combat aircraft. This TO-1 designation was changed to
TV-1 after 1950. Their original USAF serials had been 47-218/224, 47-525,
47-601/604, 47-1380/1394, 48-382,47-1396/1411 and 48-376/381. These USAF serials
were replaced by Navy BuNos 33821 through 33870 respectively.

These Navy- and Marine Corps-operated TV-1s were strictly land-based
aircraft and were not equipped with any carrier-landing equipment. TV-1s
operated during the 1950s with at least two squadrons (VF-52 of the Navy and
VMF-311 of the Marine Corps). When sufficient numbers of Panthers and Banshees
became available, the TV-1s were transferred to reserve units and were
eventually phased out of service.

Lockheed F-80D Shooting Star

Click on Picture to enlarge

The F-80D was a 1948 proposal for a progressive development of the F-80C. It
was known by the company as Model 680-33-07. The F-80D was to be powered by an
Allison J33-A-29 turbojet and was to have improved instrumentation and a more
efficient cockpit arrangement. It was not proceeded with.

The F-80E was a proposed F-80C development with swept wing and tail
surfaces. Studied under the company design designation L-181, the new design
retained the nose, center fuselage, and vertical tail of the F-80C. The aft
fuselage was enlarged to house an afterburning Allison J33-A-27 turbojet. The
wing and tailplane were swept back at an angle of 35 degrees. At that time, the
USAF was perfectly satisfied with the F-86 Sabre, and felt no need for the
F-80E, so the project was abandoned. Projected maximum speed of the F-80E was
662 mph at sea level.

Lockheed TP-80C/TF-80C/T-33A

Click on Picture to enlarge

Early in the development cycle of the P-80, Lockheed had identified the
need for a two-seat training version of the Shooting Star. However, the AAF was
initially not very interested in the project. The AAF became much more
interested in a two-seat Shooting Star in 1947, when the alarmingly high
accident rate of the P-80 pointed to an urgent need for a jet transition
trainer. In August of 1947, the Air Force authorized the modification of a P-80C
airframe (48-356) as a two-seat trainer. The modified aircraft was redesignated
TP-80C. In order to accommodate the second seat, a 38.6-inch plug was inserted
forward of the wing and a 12-inch plug aft. Fuselage fuel capacity was decreased
from 207 to 95 US gallons. To offset this loss of fuel capacity, nylon cells
were installed in the wings in place of the P-80's self-sealing tanks. Internal
fuel capacity was 353 gallons as compared to the P-80C's 425 gallons. The two
crew members were seated in tandem ejector seats under a clear canopy. To save
weight, built-in armament was reduced to only two 0.50-inch machine guns.

The TP-80C completed its maiden flight on March 22, 1948, flown by Tony
LeVier. On June 11, 1948, its designation was changed to TF-80C. After 128
TF-80Cs had been produced, the designation changed yet again to T-33A on May 5,
1949. The two-seat T-33 was one of the most successful trainers of the post-war
era--no less than 5691 examples being built in the USA, with 210 more being
built in Japan and 656 in Canada. It remained in production until 1959, and
served with the air forces of no fewer than 30 nations. But the T-33 is a story
for another day.

Lockheed QF-80

Click on Picture to enlarge

The QF-80 was a drone version of the F-80 for
use as a gunnery target.

Click on Picture to enlarge

Drone and Controller - S/N 44-85046
(drone) and 44-85288 (controller)

Sperry Gyroscope began converting eight F-80s to QF-80 drone configuration
in 1951 under a project known as Bad Boy. The armament was all removed, and
radio control equipment was installed. The pilot's controls were retained, which
made it possible for the drone to be operated either manned or unmanned. A
second batch of 14 drones featured larger center-mounted Fletcher wingtip tanks
equipped with cameras rather than fuel so that attacking aircraft could be
photographed. These cameras could be jettisoned by remote control and lowered by
parachute.

Sperry received contracts for 55 more QF-80 drones (plus 10 DT-33 drone
directors) in November of 1954. Most were converted F-80Cs. Several of these
were completed as QF-80F, which was a modernized QF-80A/QF-80C target drone with
improved radio control equipment and provision for runway arrester hooks.

The drones were usually painted all red, but with natural metal finish on
the top surfaces of both wings. Some QF-80 drones were still operating as aerial
targets as late as 1962. Many QF-80s were operated as pilot less drones to
collect radioactive samples from mushroom clouds during nuclear tests.

F-80 Service History

Click on Picture to enlarge

The service history of the Shooting Star begins in 1944, when the decision
was made to deploy four service test YP-80As to Europe to demonstrate their
capabilities to combat crews and to help in the development of tactics to be
used against Luftwaffe jet fighters. 44-83026 and 83027 were shipped to England
in mid-December 1944, but 44-83026 crashed on its second flight in England,
killing its pilot. 44-83027 was turned over to the British government and
modified by Rolls-Royce to flight test the B-41, the prototype of the Nene
turbojet. On November 14, 1945, 44-83027 was destroyed in a crash landing after
an engine failure. 44-83028 and 83029 were shipped to the Mediterranean. They
flew some operational sorties, but they never encountered any enemy aircraft.
They were both returned to the USA after the war.

The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth YP-80As were delivered in early 1945 to
the 31st Fighter Squadron of the 412th Fighter Group at Bakersfield Municipal
Airport in California for service tests. The first production P-80A was accepted
by the AAF in February of 1945. The group relocated to Santa Maria AAF,
California in July of 1945. It moved again in November of 1945 to March Field,
California. After the war in Europe was over, P-80As began to replace the P-51D
and the few P-59As which had served with stateside units. The first 17 P-80As
off the line were assigned to the 31st Squadron of the 412th Fighter Group,
supplementing the YP-80As that the Group had already received. More P-80As went
to the 29th and the 445th Squadrons of this group in the summer of 1945. This
group was in preparation for deployment to the Pacific when Japan surrendered.

Click on Picture to enlarge

In the summer of 1945, approximately 30 P-80As were sent aboard an
aircraft carrier to the Philippines in preparation for the final assault on
Japan. The planes were to be issued to the 414th Fighter Group, based at Florida
Blanca. Unfortunately, the planes had been sent without their tip tanks and
their aircraft batteries, so they sat aboard the aircraft carrier for 30 days
waiting for this equipment. By the time that the batteries and wingtip tanks
were delivered, the war in the Pacific had ended, so the P-80 never got a chance
to enter combat in the war against Japan.

The initial accident rate for the P-80A was alarmingly high. On July 1,
1945, Lt Joseph Mandl was killed when his P-80A (44-85017) stalled on takeoff
and plowed through a fence and struck a parked A-26. On August 2,1945, Major Ira
Jones was killed when his P-80A (44-83029) fell apart in midair in a flight over
Kentucky. August 6, 1945, Major Richard Bong, Medal of Honor holder and leading
USAAF fighter ace with 40 victories in the Pacific, was killed when the engine
of his P-80A-1-LO (44-85048) exploded shortly after takeoff. By that time, no
less than eight YP-80As and P-80As had been destroyed in crashes, seven had been
severely damaged, and six pilots had been killed. The day after Bong's fatal
crash, the USAAF ordered the Shooting Star grounded until the problems could be
corrected. The grounding order was lifted on November 7, but was soon followed
by another grounding, this time caused by problems with the J33-A-9 jet engine.
The aircraft was cleared for flight shortly thereafter, but the accident rate
still remained high, with no less than 61 Shooting Stars being involved in
accidents by September of 1946. Most of these accidents were not the result of
any critical flaws in the basic design of the Shooting Star, but were caused
primarily by errors on the part of pilots inexperienced with the particular
idiosyncrasies of jet aircraft.

In spite of its high accident rate, the USAAF was anxious to show off its
new jet fighter to the public. On January 26, 1946, three P-80A-1-LOs equipped
with auxiliary fuel tanks in place of the guns and ammunition broke the
transcontinental speed record between Long Beach, California and LaGuardia
Airport, New York City. Carrying standard 165-US gallon wingtip tanks, Captain
Martin Smith's 44-85113 and Captain John Babel's 44-85131 completed the trip
respectively in 4 hours 33 minutes 25 seconds and 4 hours 23 minutes 54 seconds,
which included a re-fuelling stop in Topeka, Kansas. The fastest time--4 hours
13 minutes 26 seconds for an average speed of 580.93 mph over 2453.8 miles was
obtained by Col. William Council who was able to fly nonstop since his aircraft
(44-85123) was fitted with special 310-gallon drop tanks. Three months later,
Col. Council flew a P-80A from New York to Washington DC in 20 minutes 15
seconds. In June 1946, Lt. Henry Johnson set a 1000-km speed record of 426.97
mph.

Click on Picture to enlarge

In the first postwar National Air Races held in Cleveland in August of
1946, Shooting Stars won three trophies: the Bendix Trophy awarded to Col Leon
Gray for flying an FP-80A from Van Nuys, California to Cleveland in

4 hours 8 minutes, the Thompson Trophy 180-km closed circuit race won by
Colonel Gustav Lundquist in a P-80A, and the Weatherhead Jet Speed Dash Trophy
won by Lieut W. Reilly at a speed of 576.4 mph in a P-80A. The P-80A won the
Bendix and Thompson trophies again in 1947.

In order to show off the USAAF's new jet fighter, in May of 1946,
twenty-five P-80As of the 412th Fighter Group toured the United States. However,
the 412th Fighter Group was inactivated in July of 1946 after completing the
operational evaluation of the first two USAAF jet fighters, the P-59A and the
P-80A.

Apart from the four P-80s that had been sent to Europe just prior to V-E
Day, the first overseas P-80s were issued to the 55th Fighter Group under Col
Horace Hanes, which received 32 Shooting Stars for its 38th Fighter Squadron
based at Gibelstadt in Germany. This unit evolved into the 31st Fighter Group.
In 1946, Shooting Stars were delivered to the 38th Squadron of the 55th Fighter
Group and the 27th, 71st, and 94th of the 1st Group stationed in the USA, the
31st Group (307th, 308th, and 309th Squadrons) based in Germany, and the 18th
Fighter Bomber Wing (12th, 44th, and 67th Squadron) based on Okinawa. In early
1946, 30 P-80s were sent to the 414th Fighter Group at Florida Blanca Airbase on
Luzon in the Philippine Islands. In November 1946, twenty-five P-80Bs of the
94th Squadron were taken to Alaska for six months of cold-weather testing.

Click on Picture to enlarge

The 363rd Reconnaissance Group was activated at Brooks Field, Texas in
July of 1946, and received FP-80As.

In 1947, the following groups got the Shooting Star--the 4th Group
(334th, 335th, 336th Squadrons) and 56th Group (61st, 62nd, and 63rd Squadrons)
based in the USA, the 36th Fighter Bomber Group (22nd, 23rd, and 53rd Squadrons)
based in Germany, and the 51st Interceptor Group (16th, 25th, and 26th
Squadrons) based in Japan. Sixteen F-80A/F-80Bs of the 56th Fighter Group left
Selfridge Field, Michigan on July 7, 1948 and made a multi-stop transatlantic
flight and then took part in two weeks of training in Germany.

In 1948, F-80Cs began to reach operational units, the first being the 57th
Interceptor Group (64th, 65th, and 66th Squadrons) based in Alaska and the 49th
Fighter Bomber Group (7th, 8th, 9th Squadrons) based in Japan. Later in 1948,
the 36th Fighter Group took no less than 80 F-80Bs from Florida to the Canal
Zone before moving permanently to Germany. In 1949, the 23rd Group (74th, 75,
76th Squadrons) and 81st Group (91st, 92nd, and 93rd Squadrons), both stationed
in the USA, received Shooting Stars. In the same year, the 8th Fighter Bomber
Group (35th, 36th, and 80th Squadrons) based in Japan received F-80Cs. The 35th
Interceptor Group (39th, 40th, and 41st Squadrons) based in Japan received
F-80Cs in early 1950.

Click on Picture to enlarge

By the late spring of 1950, F-80Cs equipped twelve Far East Air Force (FEAF)
squadrons based in Japan--the 7th, 8th, and 9th Squadrons of the 49th Fighter
Bomber Wing based at Misawa, the 35th, 36th, and 80th Squadrons with the 8th
Fighter Bomber Wing based at Itazuke, the 39th, 40th and 41st Squadrons with the
35th Fighter Interceptor Wing at Yokota, and the 16th, 25th and 26th Squadrons
with the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing at Naha. RF-80As equipped the 8th
Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Yokota.

When North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, four groups
equipped with the P-80C (the 8th, 51st, 49th, and 35th) were based in Japan, as
well as the 8th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron flying FP-80As. Shooting Stars
saw action from June 26 onwards, taking off from their bases in Japan and flying
as escorts for transports and as interceptors. On June 26, four Shooting Stars
intercepted eight North Korean Ilyushin Il-10 attack aircraft and shot down four
of them, scoring the first combat victories for an American jet fighter. On June
28, RF-80As began flying operational reconnaissance sorties, while the F-80Cs
began to fly ground attack missions in support of the retreating South Korean
forces. On June 30, the ban against air operations over North Korea was lifted,
and the initial commitment of US troops was approved.

Click on Picture to enlarge

During the early days of service in Korea, pilots complained
that the F-80 was too fast and not sufficiently maneuverable to handle the
propeller-driven North Korean Yaks and Lavochkins. Two of the three F-80
squadrons converted briefly to the F-51D Mustang, but this change was to prove
short-lived.

The F-80C was instrumental in quickly gaining and
maintaining air superiority over the Korean battlefield, rapidly clearing the
skies of any North Korean aircraft that dared to venture into the air. However,
the introduction of the MiG-15 into Korean combat On November 1, 1950 proved to
be a nasty surprise. On November 7, 1950, Lieut Russell J. Brown, flying F-80C
#49-0737, shot down a MiG-15 near the Yalu River, scoring the first victory in
air-to-air combat between jet fighters.

However, it was soon apparent that the F-80C was no match for the
swept-wing MiG-15, being almost 100 mph slower than its Russian-built opponent.
Thereafter, F-80s were employed primarily in the ground attack role, leaving
air-to-air combat against the MiGs for the more capable F-86 Sabre.

In order to increase the endurance of Shooting Stars operating from
Japanese bases, personnel from the 49th Fighter Bomber Wing developed larger
wingtip tanks by inserting sections of Fletcher tanks in the middle of standard
F-80 tanks. These tanks (named "Misawa" tanks, after the airbase where the 49th
was stationed) had a capacity of 265 US gallons and were carried beneath the
wingtips of the Shooting Star and increased the aircraft's radius of action by
125 miles to 350 miles when carrying rockets. Later on, new centerline tip tanks
with a 230 US gallon capacity were adopted as standard.

One of the problems that faced early USAF operations with jet fighters was
their relatively limited endurance and range. In order to extend the endurance
of its jet fighters, experiments were made with in-flight re-fuelling. The
Wright Air Development Center fitted a probe on each of the tip tanks of a group
of F-80Cs and RF-80As. Success of these trials lead to the installation by the
Far East Air Material Command of similar probes to the tanks of RF-80As of the
67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. On July 6, 1951 three RF-80As were re-fuelled
three times by a Boeing KB-29M, flying the world's first air-re-fuelled combat
mission. Similar operational trials were made with F-80Cs beginning on September
28, 1951. However, the air re-fuelling procedure proved to be cumbersome and was
not adopted as standard in Korea by the Shooting Star.

The Shooting Stars were superseded by later types as the Korean War
proceeded. The 49th Fighter Bomber Wing traded in its F-80Cs for F-84Es in
June/August of 1951. The 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing acquired F-86Es in
October/November of 1951. The 8th and 18th Fighter Bomber Wings exchanged their
F-80Cs for F-86Fs in 1953. By the time of the armistice agreement of July 27,
1953, the only Shooting Stars still flying combat missions in Korea were the
RF-80As of the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing.

During the Korean War, Shooting Stars flew 98,515 sorties and were
credited with the destruction of 37 enemy aircraft in the air (six of them
MiG-15s) and 21 on the ground. They dropped 41,593 tons of bombs and napalm and
fired over 81,000 rockets. In 34 months of combat, the F-80C suffered heavy
losses (equal to 35 percent of the F-80C production). 14 were shot down by enemy
MiG fighters, 113 were brought down by ground fire, 16 were lost to unknown
causes, and 150 were lost in operational accidents.

There was a report that the Communist side managed to obtain a flyable
F-80 during the war and actually managed to use it to harass UN troops. If true,
this would be yet another example of an aircraft which fought on both sides
during a conflict.

While the Korean War was in progress, the F-80A/Bs continued in service in
the USA where they were primarily used for training. By late 1951, they were
finally phased out. In Europe, F-80Bs were replaced in the 36th Fighter Bomber
Group by F-84 Thunderjets during 1950. In Alaska, the Shooting Stars were
replaced by F-94 Starfires in 1951. The recon Shooting Stars remained in service
for a bit longer, the last RF-80A/Cs being withdrawn from USAF service at the
end of 1957.

The Air National Guard (ANG) was issued with Shooting Stars at a fairly
early stage. The F-80B entered service in June 1947 with the 196th Fighter
Squadron of the California ANG. When the Korean War began, the ANG had six
squadrons of Shooting Stars, but they all transitioned to other types before
being called to active duty. After the Korean War, the Shooting Star reentered
Guard service, with F-80Cs (including rebuilt F-80C-11/12-LO aircraft) equipping
some twenty-two squadrons and the RF-80A/C serving with some five squadrons. Air
Force Reserve squadrons also flew F-80Cs from the summer of 1953 to the autumn
of 1957. In 1958, the F-80C was finally phased out of the Air National Guard and
the Air Force Reserve.

Click on Picture to enlarge

In the mid-1950s, the F-80C was chosen as the replacement type for Latin
American nations that were equipped with the Republic F-47 Thunderbolt. 113
Shooting Stars, including original F-80Cs as well as some rebuilt
F-80C-11/12-LOs, were transferred to South American air forces under the US
Military Assistance Program (MAP). The Forca Aerea Brasileira operated 33
F-80C-10-LOs between the years 1958 and 1973. During the same period, the Fuerza
Aerea del Peru ( whose 1947 order for four factory-fresh F-80Cs had for some
reason been taken over by the USAF) operated sixteen Shooting Stars. Other Latin
American operators of the Shooting Star included the Fuerza Aerea de Chile (18
aircraft), the Fuerza Aerea Colombiana (16 aircraft), the Fuerza Aerea
Ecuatoriana (16 aircraft), and the Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya (14 aircraft). Several
other Latin American Thunderbolt-operators (including Cuba, the Dominican
Republic, and Mexico) were offered Shooting Stars but elected not to take them
on charge. In only one example was a Latin American F-80C used in action--this
was in Peru when a few low-level passes helped to persuade a local garrison to
give up its insurrection. The last Latin American user of the Shooting Star was
Uruguay, which finally turned its last F-80Cs in exchange for Cessna A-37Bs in
1975.

No Shooting Star survives in flyable condition today, although numerous
examples are displayed in museums.

The AAF definitively endorsed the P-80 on 4 April (2
months ahead of the XP-80A's first flight) with a LC that introduced the
first production contract. This contract, as approved in December, called
for two lots of P-80s (500 in each). Delivery of the first 500 was to be
completed by the end of 1945; the rest, by February 1946. Germany's
growing use of jet fighters (and the North American P-51's inability to
measure up) underlined the P-80's urgency. In January 1945, the P-80
production got the same high priority as the B-29. This came after
concluding that a slowdown of P-38 production would not solve the
manpower, space, and part shortages preventing Lockheed from speeding up
the P-80 production. Each of the first 500 P-80s would cost $75,913; the
later ones, $20,000 less per aircraft. A second production contract in
June 1945 raised the P-80 procurement above 3,600-most of them
subsequently cancelled. An additional 1,000 P-80s were to be built by
North American and labeled P-80Ns to distinguish them from the Lockheed
productions. They too were cancelled.

Despite major problems, the AAF received its first P-80A
on schedule. The P-80 actually attained quantity production in March (only
21 months from its design), even though precision tools were lacking and the
engines were either in short supply or unacceptable.

Accelerated service tests showed that with proper
maintenance the P-80A was safe for flight. Many mechanical "bugs" were
found, however. An engineering inspection of the 126th P-80A in mid-November
(delayed for months because the first planes were practically handmade and
hardly typical of later ones) also disclosed a number of deficiencies.

The close of WW II brought a sharp curtailment of the
P-80 procurement. The second production contract (June 1945) was completely
cancelled on 5 September; the first went through several changes before
settling for a total of 917 airplanes, against the 1,000 originally
contracted for. Moreover, the P-80's cost climbed some $19,000 per unit, due
to reduced procurement, readjusted delivery schedules, and more
particularly, required configuration changes. Nevertheless, postwar
procurement through fiscal year 1950 raised the entire program to 1,731
P-80s (by then redesignated F-80s) of one model or another. This Air Force
Logistics Command (AFLC) figure included all experimental and prototype
planes, some 60 P-80s bought for the Air National Guard (ANG), and 128
F-80Cs converted to TF-80Cs (also referred to as T-33s). Lockheed reported
F-80 production to be below 1,700. Headquarters AAF/USAF showed 1,562 F-80s
bought for the active forces. All three sets of figures were correct, being
based on different accounting methods.

Months after many of the P-80s had been accepted, the
aircraft were assigned to the 412th Fighter Group. After testing the
aircraft, this unit had reported in mid-1945 that the P-80 "was the only
fighter airplane with sufficient speed to escort proposed jet propelled
bombers." The 412th also thought the P-80 well-suited for other tactical
roles--counter air and ground support. In the spring of 1946 the AAF had 301
P-80s, hardly any of them overseas. The main reason was the same shortage of
parts and engines that had kept the P-80 out of WW II. All P-8OAs using
J33-9 engines had been grounded in 1945, while a General Motors strike the
following year further complicated the engine situation. Furthermore, the
P-80 had the highest accident rate in the AAF (More than twice that of any
other fighter, excluding the P-59 which was seldom flown.)-36 crashes alone
between March and September 1946. Here, low pilot experience played a part.

Beginning with the 346th production, Lockheed put the
Allison J33-17 engine in the P-80A. The GE J33-11 and Allison J33-9
engines, used interchangeably by earlier P-80As, would be reconfigured
along the lines of the new J33-17. There was no money for Allison to do
the work. It would be handled over several years during regular depot
engine overhauls.

The AAF paid Lockheed $8.5 million to give the P-8OAs
some features of the next model (P-80B). This took roughly 1 year. By March
1948, all P-80As in service had received under-wing rocket launchers, and
all but a few got an engine water-alcohol injection system to ease takeoff.
To cure canopy problems at high speed, Lockheed installed newly-developed
canopy remover kits on many of the P-80As as part of the $8.5 million
modernization deal. Oversea units did their own canopy work. The same fund
shortages that kept Allison from improving the engines of the early P80As
slowed other postproduction modifications. Faulty aileron boost pumps (the
cause of several accidents) and hydraulic pressure losses still existed.
These, like upgrading the original engines, would eventually be corrected
during regular depot overhauls.

Production terminated with delivery of 12 last aircraft
in December 1946. 525 p-80s were accepted; AAF accepted 33 P-80As in FY 45,
311 in FY 46, and 181 in FY 47. Cost per aircraft was approximately $95,000,
Average cost of the various P-80s ordered under the first production
contract of December 1944. If included, research and development costs
boosted the aircraft's average price to over $110,000.
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The Shooting Star was the first USAF aircraft to exceed
500 mph in level flight, the first American jet airplane to be
manufactured in large quantities, and the first USAF jet to be used in
combat. Designed in 1943, the XP-80 made its maiden flight on January 8,
1944. Several early P-80s were sent to Europe for demonstration, but
World War II ended before the aircraft could be employed in combat. The
aircraft was re-designated in 1948 when "P" for "Pursuit" was changed to
"F" for "Fighter." Of 1,731 F-80s built, 798 were F-80Cs.

Although designated a high-altitude interceptor, the
F-80C was used extensively as a fighter-bomber in the Korean Conflict,
primarily for low-level rocket, bomb and napalm attacks against ground
targets. With the beginning of hostilities in June 1950, Warner Robins Air
Logistics Center (WR-ALC) modernized F-80s assigned to federalized Air
National Guard units in a crash program called "Project Hold-Off." On
November 8, 1960, an F-80C flown by Lt. Russell J. Brown, flying with the
16th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, shot down a Russian-built MIG-15 in the
world's first all-jet fighter air battle.

"Frantic" best describes the pace of some aircraft
development programs during World War II. Surely falling into this category
was the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star program. By the summer of 1943, the poor
performance of the Bell Airacomet spelled the need for the development of a
new U.S. jet fighter. Lockheed had been making design studies of such an
aircraft and in June 1943 was awarded a prototype development contract with
the stipulation that the aircraft be ready for flight in 180 days.
Completion of the aircraft actually required only 150 days, but first flight
was delayed by engine problems until January 1944. The intitial contract was
for one plane, at a cost of $515,000. Production of the F-80A, using a
different engine (the J-33) began in 1945.

Conventional in basic configuration, the F-80 featured
an unswept wing of 13-percent thickness mounted in the low position and,
unlike the twin-engine Meteor and the Me 262, had a single engine located
in the fuselage behind the pilot. Air was delivered to the engine by side
inlets located on the fuselage just ahead of the wing root, and the jet
exhaust nozzle was at the extreme end of the fuselage. Adjacent to the
fuselage side may be seen the bleed slots that removed the fuselage
boundary layer from the engine intake air and thus prevented flow
separation inside the inlet. No such slots were provided on the prototype,
and intermittent separation did occur in the inlets. "Duct rumble" was the
term used to describe this phenomenon because of the alarming noise heard
by the pilot. Evident in the photograph is the deployed speed brake
located on the bottom of the fuselage. Like the P-38 , the F-80 had a
small dive-recovery flap near the leading edge of the lower surface of the
wing. Again like later versions of the P-38, the F-80 had power-operated
ailerons. The other controls were manually operated. Split trailing-edge
flaps provided lift augmentation at low speeds.

The cockpit of production models of the Shooting Star was
pressurized and air-conditioned. In the prototype, no air-conditioning was
provided so that the temperature resulting from a combination of the high
temperatures of the California desert and sustained high Mach number flight
at low altitude caused the interior surfaces of the cockpit and controls to
become uncomfortably hot. For example, with an ambient temperature of 90°
some parts of the aircraft would reach a temperature of 150 in prolonged
flight at a Mach number of 0.73. Another advance in cockpit equipment was
the ejection seat incorporated in the F-80C model of the Shooting Star. (The
first successful manned test of an ejection seat took place in July 1946.)

Although the F-80 was conventional in appearance, the
aircraft was the result of a careful synthesis of weight, size, and thrust
parameters, as well as close attention to aerodynamic refinement. As a
consequence, it had performance far superior to that of the P-59A although
the thrust-to-weight ratio of the earlier aircraft was actually about 12
percent greater than that of the F-80A. For example, the maximum sea-level
speed of 558 miles per hour was 145 miles per hour greater than that of
the maximum speed of the P-59A, which occurred at 30 000 feet. As seen in
table V, the climbing performance of the F-80A was also far superior to
that of the earlier aircraft; the much smaller wing and resultant drag
area of the F-80A no doubt played a significant role in ensuring the
higher performance of the Shooting Star. In comparison with the drag area
of the famous World War II Mustang, the drag area of 3.2 square feet of
the F-80A was about 15 percent lower than that of the earlier
propeller-driven aircraft.

The F-80 came too late for operational service in World
War II, but the F-80C did see action in the Korean conflict of the early
1950's. Designed as an air-superiority fighter, the F-80 could not compete
in that role with the Soviet-built MiG-15 supplied to the opposing forces by
the Soviet Union. It was, however, extensively employed in the ground-attack
mode. Armament consisted of six .50-caliber machine guns in the nose and
externally mounted bombs and rockets.

The F-80 was withdrawn from first-title United States Air
Force (USAF) service in 1954; production of the aircraft consisted of about
1700 units. But, this is not quite the end Of the F-80 story. A two-seat
trainer version of the aircraft appeared in 19-18. Known in the USAF as the
T-33 and in the Navy as the T2V, over 5000 of these trainers were built; a
number of them are still in service and can be seen frequently at air bases
in different parts of the country. Certainly a long and useful life for an
airplane developed in the closing years of World War II.

The AAF definitively endorsed the P-80 on 4 April (2
months ahead of the XP-80A's first flight) with a LC that introduced the
first production contract. This contract, as approved in December, called
for two lots of P-80s (500 in each). Delivery of the first 500 was to be
completed by the end of 1945; the rest, by February 1946. Germany's
growing use of jet fighters (and the North American P-51's inability to
measure up) underlined the P-80's urgency. In January 1945, the P-80
production got the same high priority as the B-29. This came after
concluding that a slowdown of P-38 production would not solve the
manpower, space, and part shortages preventing Lockheed from speeding up
the P-80 production. Each of the first 500 P-80s would cost $75,913; the
later ones, $20,000 less per aircraft. A second production contract in
June 1945 raised the P-80 procurement above 3,600-most of them
subsequently cancelled. An additional 1,000 P-80s were to be built by
North American and labeled P-80Ns to distinguish them from the Lockheed
productions. They too were cancelled.

Despite major problems, the AAF received its first P-80A
on schedule. The P-80 actually attained quantity production in March (only
21 months from its design), even though precision tools were lacking and the
engines were either in short supply or unacceptable.

Accelerated service tests showed that with proper
maintenance the P-80A was safe for flight. Many mechanical "bugs" were
found, however. An engineering inspection of the 126th P-80A in mid-November
(delayed for months because the first planes were practically handmade and
hardly typical of later ones) also disclosed a number of deficiencies.

The close of WW II brought a sharp curtailment of the
P-80 procurement. The second production contract (June 1945) was
completely cancelled on 5 September; the first went through several
changes before settling for a total of 917 airplanes, against the 1,000
originally contracted for. Moreover, the P-80's cost climbed some $19,000
per unit, due to reduced procurement, readjusted delivery schedules, and
more particularly, required configuration changes. Nevertheless, postwar
procurement through fiscal year 1950 raised the entire program to 1,731
P-80s (by then re-designated F-80s) of one model or another. This Air Force
Logistics Command (AFLC) figure included all experimental and prototype
planes, some 60 P-80s bought for the Air National Guard (ANG), and 128
F-80Cs converted to TF-80Cs (also referred to as T-33s). Lockheed reported
F-80 production to be below 1,700. Headquarters AAF/USAF showed 1,562
F-80s bought for the active forces. All three sets of figures were
correct, being based on different accounting methods.

Months after many of the P-80s had been accepted, the
aircraft were assigned to the 412th Fighter Group. After testing the
aircraft, this unit had reported in mid-1945 that the P-80 "was the only
fighter airplane with sufficient speed to escort proposed jet propelled
bombers." The 412th also thought the P-80 well-suited for other tactical
roles--counter air and ground support. In the spring of 1946 the AAF had 301
P-80s, hardly any of them overseas. The main reason was the same shortage of
parts and engines that had kept the P-80 out of WW II. All P-8OAs using
J33-9 engines had been grounded in 1945, while a General Motors strike the
following year further complicated the engine situation. Furthermore, the
P-80 had the highest accident rate in the AAF (More than twice that of any
other fighter, excluding the P-59 which was seldom flown.)-36 crashes alone
between March and September 1946. Here, low pilot experience played a part.

Beginning with the 346th production, Lockheed put the
Allison J33-17 engine in the P-80A. The GE J33-11 and Allison J33-9 engines,
used interchangeably by earlier P-80As, would be reconfigured along the
lines of the new J33-17. There was no money for Allison to do the work. It
would be handled over several years during regular depot engine overhauls.

The AAF paid Lockheed $8.5 million to give the P-8OAs
some features of the next model (P-80B). This took roughly 1 year. By
March 1948, all P-80As in service had received under-wing rocket
launchers, and all but a few got an engine water-alcohol injection system
to ease takeoff. To cure canopy problems at high speed, Lockheed installed
newly-developed canopy remover kits on many of the P-80As as part of the
$8.5 million modernization deal. Oversea units did their own canopy work.
The same fund shortages that kept Allison from improving the engines of
the early P80As slowed other postproduction modifications. Faulty aileron
boost pumps (the cause of several accidents) and hydraulic pressure losses
still existed. These, like upgrading the original engines, would
eventually be corrected during regular depot overhauls.

Production terminated with delivery of 12 last aircraft
in December 1946. 525 p-80s were accepted; AAF accepted 33 P-80As in FY 45,
311 in FY 46, and 181 in FY 47. Cost per aircraft was approximately $95,000,
Average cost of the various P-80s ordered under the first production
contract of December 1944. If included, research and development costs
boosted the aircraft's average price to over $110,000.

The RF-80A was an F-80A, with a longer and deeper nose to
house cameras in place of the six M 2 guns, initially on the basic aircraft.
The RF80A's prototype (the XF 14) was flown in the fall of 1944. It was
followed by the XRF-80A, a reconnaissance version of the production F-80A.
The AAF earmarked 152 of the 917 F-80s procured under the first production
contract for conversion to photographic models. These FP-80As were all
accepted in FY 47.

To better fit these RF-80As for Korean operations, they
were given improved photographic equipment. In 1953, 98 RF-80As exchanged
their J33 A 11 engines for the more powerful J33 A25s. This upped
performance and prolonged aircraft service life. However, no variant of the
F-80A ever directly took part in the Korean conflict. In 1950 they were used
in the United States for training. Production of jet fighter pilots was too
important to be curtailed even temporarily. This fact rather than the
aircraft's obsolescence was the reason they were kept at home.

The Air Force flew a few RF-80s until late 1957.

The F-80B was an improvement upon the F-80A models. It
had thinner wings with thicker skin, stronger nose bulkheads to support
greater fire power (six M,3 .50 in machine guns), and a stainless steel
armored compartment containing the new Allison J33 21 engine, with water
alcohol injection and and the capacity for jet assisted take off (JATO).
The F-80B also featured under-wing rocket launchers, cockpit cooling and
canopy anti-frosting systems, and a jettisonable pilot seat (designed,
manufactured, and installed by Lockheed).

The F-80B got its start in early 1945, when Lockheed
presented plans for the F-80Z an advanced F-80 type. The Lockheed's
sophisticated F-80Z plans were unrealistic. To follow them would amount to
building a whole new aircraft. Instead, the AAF settled for a much simpler
model. This aircraft also bore the F-80Z designation until the spring of
1947. A March engineering inspection found that after 65 changes the F-80Z
still differed little from the P 80A. The F-80Z accordingly became the F-80B
one month later.

In all a total of 240 F-80Bs were produced.

The F-80C was basically just an F-80B with an improved
engine and armaments. Procurement began in 1950. Still little more than an
improved F-80, the F-80Cs early days achieved scant recognition. Yet, it
was this aircraft that introduced the jet fighter into the Korean
conflict. Most FEAF fighter wings had F 80Cs, months before the Korean
war. In May 1950, 365 of the 553 aircraft in FEAF operational units were F
80Cs.

Because of FEAF's defensive mission, F-80Cs on 25 June
1950 (when the war broke out) had only .50 caliber machineguns. As counter
air interceptors, they were equipped with mid wing rocket posts for carrying
up to 16 5 inch high velocity rockets. Designed as fighters, none of them
were fitted with pylon bomb racks. The F-80C used the least fuel at 15,000
feet, but its range at that altitude was still quite short. Yet, before they
knew it, the F-80Cs were tapped for all types of jobs from escorting B 29s
to flying interdiction and close air support. As fighter bombers, they stood
down on 1 May 1953, but a few remained committed to the interceptor role
until the truce on 27 July.

The F 80C's radius of action was around 100 miles. With
two Lockheed external 165 gallon tanks (and a full rocket load) it was only
225 miles. Lieutenants Edward R. Johnston and Robert Eckman of the 49th
Fighter Bomber Wing at Misawa Air Base in Japan came up with one answer. Two
center sections of a standard disposable tank were inserted in the middle of
each of the two external tanks. These modified "Misawa" tanks each held 265
gallons enough fuel for 1 extra hour of flight and a 350 mile radius of
action, depending on the type of combat mission. Every FEAF F 80C would get
a pair of Misawa tanks, even though they might overstress the wing tips.

As early as March 1951, pilots realized the F-80C's
shortcomings as escort. The MIGs were able to fly through bomber
formations before the F-80Cs (100 mph slower at 25,000 feet) could engage
them.21 The F 80Cs proved excellent fighter bombers and stood up well
under rough field conditions. The strain of combat flying, however, caused
them to deteriorate faster than they could be repaired. In 1952, they
already required more routine maintenance for each hour flown than any
other fighter, including the F51 of WW II note. In air to air combat, the
F-80C's success was short lived. Soon, these aircraft relied on F-86
support to keep them out of MIG 15 gun-sights. In the long run, enemy
aircraft downed only 14 F 80cs. Still, operational losses were high (277),
113 of them due to ground fire. The 277 represented almost one-half of the
entire F-80c production.

An F-80C fuselage, taken off the production line in
August 1947, was extended by 38.5 inches to fit an extra seat under the
lengthened canopy. This prototype trainer was first flown on 22 March 1948.
Re-designated TF-80C in June, it became the T-33A within a year. The TF-80C
first had the J33A-23 engine, then the more powerful J33A-25. The trainer
also retained 2 of the F-8OC's .50 caliber machineguns that were optional in
the T-33A. Commonly called the T Bird, the T-33 was produced in larger
quantities than any other F-80.

Eventually, given a still better engine (the J33A-35),
the T-33 served as the Air Force's standard jet trainer for almost two
decades.